Explore the culture, history, origin and other fascinating facts about one of New York’s most popular forms of martial arts, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.
Want to learn more about the combat sport taking New York by storm? Brazilian Jiu-jitsu may be one of today’s most popular fitness regimes and kick-butt sports, but it also has a fascinating history that really connects students to this martial art’s core philosophies. Let’s take a look at some interesting facts about Brazilian Jiu-jitsu…
What is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?
Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is a hybrid martial art form that focuses on teaching students a suite of grappling and wrestling techniques. These include joint-locks, chokeholds and other manipulations that force your opponent to yield to you and submit.
Fact # 1: Brazilian Jiu-jitsu isn’t only for New York citizens who want to get fit and learn how to protect themselves. It’s also used by law enforcement officials and by aspiring MMA fighters who want to expand their combat skill set.
Fact # 2: You don’t need to be big or tall to become proficient in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu or even to compete in one of New York’s tournaments. The philosophy of this form of martial art is to take the fight to the ground as quickly as possible, where your opponent cannot use his or her weight and/or height against you.
Fact # 3: Brazilian Jiu-jitsu originated in Japan many centuries ago. It was adapted by a Brazilian family called the Gracie’s (Carlos and Helio Gracie to be precise), at which stage it became known as Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, rather than just Jiu-jitsu. It was subsequent to this that it became a martial art and self-defense system for people who aren’t so impressive in size or stature.
Fact # 4: Carlos Gracie was taught Judo by one of Kano Jigoro’s students, Mitusyo Maeda. Jigoro was the founding father of Judo; so to say that he received an excellent education in this form of martial art would be an understatement.
Fact # 5: Brazilian Jiu-jitsu was initially called “Kano” Jiu-jitsu because Carlos was taught by one of his students.
Fact # 6: Helio Gracie – Carlos’ brother – was very small in stature and so he struggled to pull off some of the more dramatic throwing moves required in Judo. This is what influenced Brazilian Jiu-jitsu to take the fight to the ground where the relative height of an opponent doesn’t matter. He developed a suite of attack techniques that limited the need for strength in this martial art and instead, relied on clever and strategic maneuvers.
Fact # 7: The UFC – Ultimate Fighting Championship – is perhaps the biggest and most important organization for combat sports in the United States. This very establishment was started by the Gracie family as a way to market Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. How did they do this? They staged fights between Brazilian Jiu-jitsu fighters and fighters from other martial arts. It was this platform from which Mixed Martial Arts sprang (MMA)
Is Brazilian Jiu-jitsu For You?
The very rationale behind Brazilian Jiu-jitsu is that by taking the fight to the ground – that is, by tripping your opponent and getting them in a horizontal position – you can employ a suite of grappling, wrestling and holding positions to force them to submit. This means that you don’t need to be particularly strong or tall to naturally become an excellent fighter. So, if you’re interested in taking up martial arts in New York, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu could definitely be for you!
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